Welcome to the 2022-2023 School Year!

August 22, 2022

Dear Salem families,

We are thrilled to welcome all of you to the 2022-23 school year in the Salem Public Schools!  We are excited about the opportunities that this new school year will bring – the introduction and expansion of high-demand programs, multiple curriculum updates, facility upgrades, and the continued dedication of our highly professional staff.  We are committed to finding more opportunities for our students to share their voices and ideas to shape their educational experience.  It is my sincerest hope that we can put most of COVID behind us and prepare for a year with fewer interruptions for our students. We want to capitalize on the joy, enthusiasm, and talents that our students bring with them to school each day.  As we enter the upcoming school year, we are guided by our three core values of belonging, equity and opportunity.  More specifically:

• Belonging: We believe all members of our community are valued and that our relationships are built on empathy and respect.                         

• Equity: We believe in promoting social justice to ensure an inclusive school community where all members are empowered and engaged.                         

• Opportunity: We believe all students should receive a personalized experience to achieve academic success, find joy in their learning, and have multiple choices for their post-secondary plans.         

In advancing these values, our focus for the school year is to nurture our students to become independent learners who can achieve at grade level or higher. Independent learners can think, write, analyze and problem solve when presented with cognitively challenging materials.  They also possess the confidence to tackle new tasks presented to them. In order to achieve this end, our staff is committed to creating learning spaces that are built on trust and respect such that students can feel safe taking risks, expressing their perspectives, and showcasing their many talents.    

As a reminder, the first day of school for students in Grades 1-12 is Tuesday, Aug. 30th (except Carlton School, which begins on Monday, Aug. 29th), and Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students start on Tuesday, September 6th (except Carlton School which begins on Sept. 1st).  Below you will find our school start and end times for this school year:  

Please stay connected with us throughout the school year in the following ways:  

• Links to our regular newsletter can be found on our district home page.

• Join me for my regular Facebook Lives (in both Spanish and English) – to do so, go to the Salem Public Schools Facebook Page

• Follow me and the district on Twitter

• Schedule an appointment for a one-on-one meeting with me (email Mindy Marino at mmarino@salemk12.org)

• Attend School Committee meetings – see information here 

We look forward to partnering with you in order to deliver on our commitment to your children. We can’t wait to launch the 2022-23 school year!   

Sincerely,

Stephen Zrike